Freedom
by laveniis
Summary: Yao and Ivan are supernatural warlords locked in a duel that has lasted for an eternity.


**whoa i haven't written anything in so long! anyway enjoy this ;) sorry for mistakes and such im lazy as heck**

Yao couldn't help but wonder how many years he had been like this for. He was certainly not a mortal, as he could leap into the air at incredible speeds and reach amazing heights. It was almost as if the laws of gravity didn't apply to him in some cases. He could lift things that he shouldn't be able to lift. He fears his arms will break under the pressure of lifting boulders, but they never have. It was so strange. It was all so strange, and so utterly boring. It was almost the same day everyday, it all blurred together so much Yao could barely tell if days had even passed. But he knew deep down they were passing, and he was growing so tired of it. He wondered where that other one was, Ivan.

His sworn enemy, Ivan, was ruler of the Rightlands. Yao was ruler of the Leftlands. However, he was sure neither of them knew exactly how they ended up being rulers of civilisations completely focused on battle. It was almost like some sort of dream. Along with that, Yao couldn't even remember why he and Ivan were fighting. It was almost as if they were just forced into it without any past aggression.

Yao sighed softly and leant his head back, closing his eyes and stretching. Perhaps he would sleep for a little bit, even though he didn't really need it. He hoped it would bring him some form of peace, at least for a little while. It was such a bothersome life, honestly.

He drifted off and found himself in a dream.

_Everything looked very different to the lands he knew. He was in his own body, but he was not in control. The Yao in the dream was in charge, real Yao was just a spectator, of sorts. He wondered where he was going, it looked like a forest. After what seemed like forever, Yao came to a stop in front of a very big tree. Was he waiting for someone? After a short while, the crunching of grass and leaves was heard from beneath someone's feet. He looked, and was shocked to see Ivan in his dream. Although… this Ivan didn't look like the one he knew. They shared extreme resemblance, but he was lacking in demonic features that the ruler of the Rightlands had. No horns, to be exact._

_They approached each other, and Ivan took one of Yao's hands, and raised it to his lips, kissing it lightly. He was absolutely repulsed, although the dream Yao was clearly extremely pleased with what had just happened. Ivan laughed softly and pulled Yao into a loving embrace, playing with his long, dark hair._

The dream went on for a disgustingly long time, Yao was worried he'd throw up or something when dream Yao and Ivan started to make out and stuff. He felt so relieved when he finally awoke from what he considered a nightmare of some sort. No way would he ever kiss Ivan! He had no real reason to say why he wouldn't, but, it would just be wrong!

He yawned and huffed softly, still feeling unimpressed and was able to vaguely taste that bastard. He shook his head and stood to his feet, glancing around his room vaguely. It smelled of alcohol, as usual. That tended to be what Yao lived on. He would eat, but did little for him. He wasn't a human, after all and was not bound by human things such as needing to eat to gain energy. He just seemed to possess the energy in him, and he wasn't surprised. Clearly he always needed to be ready for a battle with Ivan.

He was awake the entirety of the cold night, just staring out his window, while he attempted to drink away that unusual dream.

In the morning, there were sounds of war, once more. His warriors were upon the battlefield, fighting to the death with the warriors of Ivan's rule. Yao stood upon a cliff, awaiting Ivan's appearance so the real battle could begin. Ivan soon showed up, leaping into the air and hurdling towards Yao, war axe raised high in the air. Yao shook his head and gripped his sword, jumping out of the way just as Ivan had attempted to bring the axe down on his skull.

"Greetings, it's a nice morning, isn't it?" Yao called, landing on another cliff gracefully. Ivan grunted and leaped at him again, causing Yao to dodge him again.

"It would be much nicer if you would allow me to take your head. It would make a nice decoration for my wall!" Ivan shouted, smiling devilishly. Yao shook his head.

"Well, I guess I can understand that. I am very pretty, unlike you. Maybe I should cut off that nose," he laughed, throwing himself in the direction of Ivan, sword raised in the air. Ivan blocked his attack with his war axe, pushing him back a fair distance. He was somewhat angry now; Yao could see it in his face. Ivan loved his nose, and he always got insulted when Yao poked fun at it. Yao didn't see why he liked it so much; it looked stupid on his face.

They didn't speak much after that, just focused on their battle. The battle went on for hours, until Yao realised many of his warriors had perished in this battle, deciding it was time for a retreat. When Ivan had gone to attack him next, he blocked his attack and kicked him in the legs, trying to knock him back at least. He succeeded and jumped back and launched himself into the air. He signalled a scout and they called the retreat. Yao and his fighters vanished as quickly as possible, and Ivan stood amused. He always felt like he had won when Yao retreated. However, he had his fair share of retreats as well.

Even though many had died, it did not matter. They were not real humans. Yao and Ivan knew that, so they did not get attached to them. More would just spawn in a matter of time. Yao once again sat in his bedroom, drinking some fine alcohol and starting out of his window. Soon enough though, he found that he had drifted off once more. Another dream began, and he was in this other Yao again, unable to move.

_Other Yao and Ivan seemed to be enjoying themselves, splashing and playing around in a river by themselves. However he watched in wonder as voices as were heard and Ivan leaped out of the water and threw himself into the bushes. People that resembled Yao, and that Yao himself vaguely felt himself recognise, began speaking to Yao. Why had Ivan hidden in the bushes? Strange, perhaps he was not supposed to be there._

_Yao eventually got the people to leave, and Ivan hesitantly returned to the water, looking slightly shaken._

_"They almost saw you," Yao murmured. Ivan nodded weakly and stared into the water._

_"I know. I am sorry," he sighed, shaking his head. Yao took his hand gently and pulled him into a hug._

_"It is not your fault. We are in a bad position, and we are not supposed to be with each other." he laughed softly, gently petting Ivan's back. Ivan nodded and rested his head on Yao's shoulder. Ah, so forbidden love? Is that what this was, Yao wondered to himself as he watched this strange moment._ He felt himself get interested in all of this, and so, he didn't try to pull himself from the dream this time. He didn't even feel disgusted when they started kissing again. He was too interested to care. The dream seemed to last forever, and Yao awoke when the sun rose. He felt as if he had learnt a lot in that time.

Thankfully, there was no battle that day. Yao was relieved, as he would have felt weird fighting Ivan after that dream straight up. Although it was weird no matter what, really. There was still no explanation as to why they were locked in this never ending duel. He sighed and decided to go for an early morning walk through his garden. He was sure that Ivan wouldn't have a pretty garden like this, if he even breathed near a flower they'd die, probably.

He sat on the grass, just staring up at the sky and listening to the leaves of the bushes and trees rustle as the wind moved though them. He soon dozed off again.

Another dream began, involving Yao and Ivan once more. And Yao just watched on as the silent spectator. This was more interesting than any novel he had ever read. Before he knew it, he was getting interested in Ivan, too. He felt disappointed in himself, but he could not break away from sleep's embrace.

This dream was a romantic one. Ivan seemed to be telling Yao much he loves him over and over, and Yao himself felt his heart flutter a little every time he said it. It was so weird, he wondered if Ivan actually had an effect on him, or if he was just feeling what the other Yao felt. It was kind of pleasant.

He awoke later, and once more, there were no sounds of war. It was nice, not having to fight. Yao went about his day, asking people how they were and gardening. There wasn't really much to do when they weren't fighting. It was a boring, never ending life he and Ivan lived.

Night fell, and he did not sleep that night, as he simply pondered Ivan and his existence as he stared at the moon.

Everything just felt so weird now; after the dreams began he started questioning more. Why was he having those dreams, why were he and Ivan enemies and why were they even here? In this land of nothingness…It just made little sense to him.

He thought that maybe, if he kept dreaming, perhaps he would get answers as to why all this is happening. So he slept and slept as much as he could, and took in every dream he had of Ivan and himself. When he was not sleeping, the battles began again, and he would only fight for a small amount of time, as he wished to return to his home and dream more. Yao wanted to understand why all of this was happening. He needed to know. He would not rest until he knew and understood every detail.

And then that one dream happened. One that made his blood go cold and his heart stop for a single moment. At this point, he supposed he had fallen in love with Ivan. Not just the dream Ivan, real Ivan too. He couldn't look into those beautiful eyes as they fought, as it would surely catch him off guard and Ivan would strike him down. But that dream he had…it made everything add up finally.

Without a doubt, he and Ivan in this dream were forbidden lovers. From what he had gathered, Yao was a holy child, selected to protect a certain artefact that was kept in a shrine. Ivan's father was a demon, making him half demon. Well, basically Ivan was impure and Yao was completely pure. They weren't supposed to even be near each other, as it was feared Ivan would cause him to lose his purity. But they couldn't help but fall in love, it was meant to be, it was fate. They were so good at deceiving the eyes of Yao's family for so long, but they could only keep the façade up for so long.

One day, Yao's little brother had discovered them. Yao had begged him not to tell, but he didn't listen. His little brother ran straight to his parents, and they were in so much trouble. Without even doing something to check, they decided their son was impure simply for being in love with a man who was not full human, even though he'd never hurt anyone. And so Yao's parents called the Gods down upon them to punish them for their sins. They were both burnt alive in a ceremony, their souls taken by the Gods and then the dream cut short.

And then Yao woke up and all those memories were in his head. They were his memories. His head hurt like hell, and he clutched his head and rolled onto his side. He cried as well, something he did not know that he was able to do. He realised that their souls had been placed in this limited world and they were forced to do nothing more than battle and hate each other and the people believed that is what they should have been doing in their mortal lives. It was a curse from the Gods, an eternal life where two lovers must fight for the rest of the existence, and the pain only ends when one kills the other.

Clumsily, he stood up. He still held his head with one hand, as it was pounding so badly. He fell against the wall and stared out, all the way to where Ivan resided. Oh Ivan. How Yao loved you. Yao wondered if Ivan had been having dreams, or if it was just him who was feeling all this pain. He decided it was unlikely, as he was pretty sure Ivan never slept. Well, its not like its necessary for them to sleep but Yao likes to relax. Ivan however, gave off the vibe of always being busy.

And then he realised he couldn't take it. He couldn't take it living with these memories and fighting for nothing with Ivan every day anymore. Just like he assumed, this eternity meant nothing, and in the end no one would benefit from killing the other. What would Ivan do if Yao died? Would the Gods just end Ivan's life too? Would he remain here all by himself, forever? He didn't want to think about it. Yao sat against the wall and curled up, wishing for the pain to go away.

It took hours, but soon the pain left him for now. He stood shakily and took in a deep breath of air. That's it, he decided. He couldn't take this world anymore. He wanted to be free of the chains that held him in this land of war. He dressed himself in his war clothes and looked around his room one more time. He didn't intend to return here like he always did. He intended to die and let Ivan win. He checked out the garden one more time, letting the relaxing sound of the trees become a permanent memory in his mind. Yao then called for his warriors to ready themselves, as they were going to war again.

He awaited Ivan on the same cliff, staring up at the sky, wishing for his love to appear soon. And there he was in all of his perfection. The beautiful light hair, strong looking body and of course… those beautiful eyes that glimmered like jewels. He wanted to kiss him, but it was simply something that he could not do in this world. Ivan flew at him, that shimmering axe heading right for him. Yao dodged it for now; he wanted to admire him for a while first.

"You looked worried," Ivan noted, trying to attack him again, and Yao simply dodged again.

"Perhaps," he laughed, looking down for a moment. Well this was weird, Ivan thought. Yao seemed very out of it. Perhaps he was tired or unwell. Not that he cared of course.

"Be careful, or I will kill you," Ivan chuckled, a big grin on his face, swinging his axe again.

"Perhaps that would not be so bad," Yao whispered, moving again just in time and jumping over Ivan. Ivan shook his head. Well, that was enough chattering; now he would get serious. Even as his attacks worsened, Yao still made no attempt to fight back, just avoiding his attacks barely. It was very weird.

This went on for a while, and Yao had still not attacked. Ivan did not care; it meant he didn't have to worry about defending. Ivan moved towards him quickly, and Yao moved his foot to jump but his eyes locked with Ivan's and he was caught in them, as if they were a trap. Those beautiful eyes were his downfall, and he did not care in the slightest. He stumbled and Ivan's axe cut right into Yao's chest, tearing his clothing and causing blood to splatter everywhere. Yao gasped and fell to his knees. This was true pain, something he had not felt in so long. He could hear Ivan laughing, but then he heard Ivan's axe drop to the ground with a loud clattering noise, and he looked up weakly. The laughing had stopped.

Ivan was staring down at him, tears welling in his eyes. Ivan dropped to his knees beside Yao and awkwardly pulled him into his arms.

"I don't understand what's going on," he whimpered, arms quivering as he held Yao to his chest. "Why do I feel like this? Why do I feel so bad for doing this to you, Yao? Is it magic?" he cried softly. "I've won; your magic can't beat me now that you're dying!"

Yao laughed softly for a second, but then coughed blood everywhere. "Perhaps it is love." He whispered, reaching up and touching Ivan's cheek. "I had dreams of how we got here, Ivan. You and I…we were lovers in a mortal life. You, the half son of a demon and I, the son of a family who serves the god, we were never supposed to fall in love. It was unwanted and my family believed you made me like you, so they killed us and we ended up in here. Hating each other, just like they wanted," he breathed, closing his eyes. "Don't you remember, Ivan?"

Ivan blinked and tears rolled down his cheeks. "I…I don't know. It sounds right but I still don't understand. How do you know this? How…long did you know this?"

"I started having dreams," Yao murmured, tilting his head. "I had dreams of you and me, in a world where we were young and so in love. I was disgusted at first, but then… I fell in love with you. Perhaps I was always in love, but I had forgotten. I saw everything up until our deaths. And then those dreams were my memories and I realised why we are here. The Gods did this to us. They placed us here to make up for our sins. It was never going to end unless one of died. I'm glad it was me who died. I would have never been able to hurt you, knowing that I love you with all my heart."

"I…" he whimpered, tears falling from his eyes uncontrollably. "I… I am so sorry…"

"It's alright. You didn't know, and nor did I until a short while ago. But its okay now, Ivan, I promise that we'll be free now." Yao mumbled, his eyes struggling to focus on what was going on around him.

"It… it all makes sense. I remember, Yao. Your words, they remind me of our love. My head hurts a lot, however I'm sure you're in a lot more pain than I am," he whined, cradling Yao in his arms gently.

"Maybe, but it will be over soon and I will be okay, and so will you, I hope." Yao sighed, gripping Ivan's arm weakly, his breath becoming very soft.

"Yao," Ivan whined, pressing his forehead against Yao's gently. "I…I love you," he confessed quietly.

"You too… I love you, too," he breathed, coughing softly and smelling nothing but his blood. "I know I am revolting right now, but I feel my soul being pulled. Please… kiss me goodbye. That's all I wish for, along with your love."

Ivan nodded. "I don't care how revolting you are, Yao. I love you and I will grant you your wish." he whispered, gently pressing his lips to Yao's ignoring the sticky blood that was getting on his lips due to this. He didn't care. This felt so important and so right to him, and he couldn't deny a dying man his final wish.

"Its okay now," he murmured as Ivan pulled away. "I can rest now. I am free, and you will be too." Yao closed his eyes and slowly, his breathing stopped. Ivan held Yao in his arms for a long time, just staring down at his lover's face. He wondered what would happen now, seeing as he no longer had an enemy to fight. Was the point of his life? As he wondered this, his question was answered.

There was a sharp pain in his heart, and he looked down, expecting to see a blade, but there was nothing. The pain got worse and worse and then it just… stopped.

That world they had lived in for so long was now empty, not a single creature in sight.

It was frozen in time, the trees stopped rustling as the wind travelled and the clouds no long moved. There was no sound at all.

It was silent.


End file.
